User Guide

i-3 I/O Modbus Controller Configuration Software Instruction Manual

www.usa.siemens.com/i-3

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i-3 I/O Modbus Controller Configuration Software Instruction Manual

Table of Contents
• Installing the Configuration Software ………………………………………….. 2
o Operating System Requirements
o Running the Installation Wizard
• Program Flow …………………………………………… 4
o Running the Configuration Software
o Navigating the Configuration Software
• The Project Tab …………………………………………… 5
o Setting the System Mode
o Defining Communication Settings
o Downloading and Uploading Panel Configurations
o Creating a Configuration Project
o Editing an Existing Configuration Project
o Defining Panel Settings
• The Status Tab …………………………………………… 8
o Controlling the SIPODs
o The Input Status Pane
• The Operations Tab …………………………………………… 10
o Creating Zones
o Defining and Mapping Inputs
o Additional Output Setup
o Setting the Analog Input Logic
o Analog Outputs
• The Advanced Operations Tab …………………………………………… 16
o Active Dimming
o Gain Table (Programmable Ramp) Dimming

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Installing the Configuration Software

Operating System Requirements

The i-3 I/O Modbus Configuration Software has been tested on the Windows XP and Windows 7 operating systems. The software may work on other
versions of Windows, but Siemens has not verified its compatibility at this time.

Download the Setup File

The setup files are available for download from the Siemens i-3 web portal (www.usa.siemens.com/i-3). Download the file titled ‘i3v2_Modbus Controller
Configuration Tool Setup.zip’ to a temporary folder, and extract its contents using WINZIP®. Typically, this may be accomplished by right-clicking on the
zip file and selecting “WinZip > Extract to…” For more information on this process, refer to the utility’s help site (www.winzip.com/aboutzip.htm).

Running the Installation Wizard

After extracting the zip file to a temporary location, double click on ‘Setup.exe’ to start the Installation Wizard. The following welcome screen will appear.
Click “Next” to advance through the Installation Wizard.

This portion of the Installation Wizard allows you to choose the directory where the Configuration Software will be installed, as well as to define which
other users are allowed to use the Configuration Software. Using the defaults is recommended to avoid installation problems, and this manual assumes
that the defaults were chosen. Click “Next” to advance.

This screen is notification that the Installation Wizard has all the information necessary to install the Configuration Software. Click “Next” to start the
installation.

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The Installation Wizard will now perform the installation. Several blue status bars will show in the Installation Wizard window indicating the progress of
the installation. After the installation is complete, the Installation Wizard will display a notification. Click “Close” to exit the Installation Wizard.

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Program Flow

Running the Configuration Software

Open the Configuration Software through the Start menu by clicking

Start > Programs > Siemens > i3CTModbusPanelConfigurator

Alternatively, the Configuration Software can be opened by double-clicking on the following desktop shortcut.

Note: This shortcut is automatically placed on the desktop during installation.

Navigating the Configuration Software

The Configuration Software is organized into four major sections: Project, Status, Operations, and Advanced Operations. Navigation between these
sections is performed by clicking on the appropriate tab in the upper left corner of the Configuration Software.

To access the Status, Operations, or Advanced Operations tabs, the Project tab must first be fully completed (see The Project Tab for a description of
this process).

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The Project Tab
An i-3 panel is programmed using a project file created by the Configuration Software. This project file contains all of the configuration information for the
panel. The Project tab is used to create the “skeleton” of the project, and as such, it must be fully completed before any other changes to the
configuration may be made.

Initially, only the System Mode section will be active, and the rest of the sections will be transparent. Depending on which options are selected, more
sections will become active. The Project tab is complete when the Go section at the bottom of the tab becomes active, and the button inside it is clicked.

Setting the System Mode

The Configuration Software may be used in either ON-LINE or OFF-LINE mode. The mode is chosen by selecting one of the radio buttons in the System
Mode section.

Either mode may be used to create and edit a project.

ON-LINE mode must be used to download an existing configuration from a panel, upload a new configuration to a panel, view the status of a panel’s
SIPODs and digital inputs, or change the state of a panel’s SIPODs through the Configuration Software. In order to perform these functions, the
computer must be connected to the panel using a USB-to-RS485 cable.

OFF-LINE mode must be used when the computer is not directly connected to the I/O Modbus Controller.

Defining Communication Settings

The Communication Settings section becomes active when the ON-LINE mode radio bubble is selected. This section is used to establish communication
between the computer and the I/O Modbus Controller.

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Note: Ensure that the USB-to-RS485 converter cable drivers have been installed on the computer. Refer to Appendix E of the i-3 V2 I/O Controller -
Modbus Instruction Manual for directions on how to download and install the converter cable drivers.

Before attempting to establish communication, connect the computer to either of the 3-pin Modbus RTU connectors on the Communications Board in the
I/O Modbus Controller using the USB-to-RS485 cable. Make sure that the black side of the RS485 cable is oriented towards the center of the Controller.

To establish communication with the Controller, the proper COM Port, Baud Rate, and Device Address must be input.

The correct COM port will be displayed in the computer’s Device Manager. To get there, first right click on “My Computer” and select “Properties” from
the drop-down menu. Next, click on the Hardware tab, and then click on the Device Manager button. Near the bottom of the list, expand “Ports (COM &
LPT)”. If the USB-to-RS485 cable is correctly connected and the device drivers have been installed, the sub-item “RS-485 Port (COM #)” will be
displayed. The COM port number in parentheses after “RS-485 Port” is the correct COM port number; enter it into the Communication Settings section.

The correct Baud Rate is 38400.

The correct Device Address is determined by the two dials located near the top of the Communications Board. This is the ModBus address that
distinguishes each Controller in a Modbus network. Each dial is one digit of a two-digit hexadecimal number (hexadecimal digits can be any number
from 0-9 and any letter from A-F). The decimal equivalent of the hexadecimal number on the dials is the Modbus Device Address. The factory default
Device Address for all Controllers is 126, which is equivalent to 7E in hexadecimal.

Note: A simple way to translate hexadecimal to decimal and vice-versa is to use the Windows calculator accessory. In the “Scientific” view, there are
radio buttons on the top-left corner that change the counting system the calculator is using. Simply select the Hex radio button, input the hexadecimal
value, then select the Dec radio button for an automatic conversion.

After inputting the correct COM Port, Baud Rate, and Device Address, click the Check Communication button in the Communication Settings Section.
Successful communication is indicated by a small green circle, and the next section will become available.

Downloading and Uploading Panel Configurations

The Download/Upload section is only available in ON-LINE mode, after communication has been established with the panel.

Clicking the “Download from Panel” radio button will download the current panel configuration to the computer once the Project tab has been completed.
This can be useful as a starting point for a new configuration project, or a good way to review and edit an existing panel configuration.

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The “Upload to Panel” radio button performs the opposite operation. Clicking it will upload the selected project to the panel at the completion of all
Project tab sections. Choosing “Upload to Panel” will only activate the Existing Project radio button in the next section.

Creating a Configuration Project

To create a new configuration project, select the New Project radio button in the middle section of the page. This button becomes active immediately in
OFF-LINE mode, or after the Download from Panel radio button has been selected in ON-LINE mode.

Use the Create New Project section to define the location and name of the configuration project. Click “Browse” to select the folder you would like to
create the new project. Next, enter the name of the project into the field below the folder field and click “Continue” to activate the Panel Settings section.

Editing an Existing Configuration Project

To edit an existing configuration project, select the Existing Project radio button. The option to edit an existing project is active immediately in OFF-LINE
mode, or after either option in the Download/Upload section has been selected in ON-LINE mode.

The Existing Project button has a slightly different function when uploading a project than when downloading a project or when working OFF-LINE. In the
case where a project is being uploaded to the panel, the existing project button is asking for the project to upload. In the case where a project has been
downloaded from the panel, selecting “Existing Project” allows that project to be saved over an existing project. When working OFF-LINE, selecting
“Existing Project” allows an existing project to be opened for editing only.

Use the Select Existing Project section to find the project. Clicking “Browse” will open a window to browse the system for the project. After finding the
project, click “Continue” to activate the Panel Settings section.

Defining Panel Settings

The last step in the Project tab is to define the type of panel the project is being downloaded from, or is intended for.

The three menus in this section should be matched to the physical type of the panel. The number of circuits can be determined by simply counting the
total number of empty and filled circuit breaker positions. The numbering refers to the direction that the numbers are assigned to the breaker positions. If
the breakers on the left side are in order, the numbering is vertical. If the positions on the left side are all odd-numbered, then the numbering is horizontal.
The feed type refers to whether the main line coming into the panel at the top or at the bottom. As a helpful hint, the feed comes into the panel on the
opposite side from the Controller.

After all of the settings have been assigned, click the “Continue” button. This will activate the bottom-most section, which has only one button. This
button will either say “Go Online” or “Go Offline,” depending on the system mode. Click this button to advance to the Status, Operations, and Advanced
Operations Tab.

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The Status Tab
The Status tab displays the current state of all the panel’s SIPODs and inputs. Additionally, the Configuration Software may be used to turn SIPODs on
and off through the Status tab. Though the Status tab may be accessed in either OFF-LINE or ON-LINE mode, it can only be used for these functions
when the computer is connected to the panel in ON-LINE mode.

The Status tab has three sections. The left-most section displays a representation of the panel, along with indicators for the SIPOD states. The middle
section lists all of the Controller’s digital and analog inputs, as well as their type, mapping, and status. On the far right, there is a small legend indicating
how to interpret the various state symbols displayed in the left and middle sections.

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Controlling the SIPODs
To control the SIPODs through the Configuration Software, the system must be in ON-LINE mode. Right-clicking on any one of the round SIPOD state
indicators will open a small menu of control options. The top two options allow you to Open or Close the SIPOD that was right-clicked. The bottom two
options are “Open All” or “Close All.” These options will appear regardless of which SIPOD was originally clicked, and can be used to open or close all of
the SIPODs in the panel. This can be a useful troubleshooting tool to make sure that all of the SIPODs have been connected and are functioning
properly.

The Input Status Pane

The Input Status Pane displays a list of all of the Controller’s inputs. Unlike the SIPOD section on the left, this section is passive- it does not allow the
user to change any of the inputs’ attributes. To change any of the parameters in this section, go to the Operations tab.

There are eight columns within the pane. The first column is the input number. Inputs 1-32 are digital inputs and inputs 33 & 34 represent the Controller’s
two analog inputs. Note that i-3 v2 Controllers only have 20 digital inputs, so inputs 21-32 will not map to anything for a second-generation Controller.
The second column shows the names that have been assigned to the input. The third column contains the type of that input. The fourth, fifth, and sixth
columns display which output that input is mapped to (i.e. what turns on when the input is turned on). The seventh column shows the current state of the
input. The final column is a checkbox that indicates whether or not that input is a powered input.

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The Operations Tab
The majority of the programming tasks are performed in the Operations tab. In this tab, the user is able to create zones of circuits, classify digital input
types, map inputs to outputs (with or without logic), and define how analog inputs and outputs will be utilized. The Operations tab is shown below in its
entirety.

Zones are created in the top section. The middle green section is intended for defining output types and mappings. And the bottom section is used to set
the compare logic for the analog inputs and classify how those inputs map to digital and analog outputs.

Creating Zones
A zone is simply a collection of circuits (breakers) that have something in common. For instance, all of the individual lighting circuits in a conference
room might be grouped together into a single zone to simplify the process of programming them to turn on and off.

In the Configuration Software, zones are created in the Zones section.

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To create a new zone, highlight the item Zone 0 (‘New Zone’) in the left-most pane. Then, select the breakers you would like to be included in the new
zone in the right-most pane and hit the “<<” button. The highlighted breakers will move from the right pane to the middle pane, and a new zone will
appear in the left pane with an incremental zone number. Double-clicking the cell next to the Zone Number allows the name of that zone to be edited. In
the picture below, Zone 1 has been named “Conference Room.”

Breakers can also be removed from an existing zone by highlighting the breaker in the middle pane and clicking on the “>>” button. A zone can be
deleted by highlighting the zone in the left panel and clicking the Delete Zone button.

Defining and Mapping Inputs

The I/O section of the Operations tab is used to define what type of switch or sensor is connected to the Controller’s inputs and how those inputs cause
the i-3 panel’s outputs (breakers and zones) to turn on and off.

To begin defining an input, select it from the pane on the left side. The input can be named (e.g. Occupancy Sensor 1) by double-clicking the
corresponding cell under the “InputName” column. The list in this pane has 34 items. Items 1-20 match up to the Controller’s digital inputs of the same
number. Items 21-32 are also digital inputs, but are only used by first-generation i-3 Controllers. Items 33 & 34 represent the Controller’s analog inputs,
and will be discussed in more detail in Using the Analog Section.

Note: In ON-LINE mode only, the status circle to the right of the pane will actively display the current state of the selected input. Underneath the status
circle, a timed override can be programmed that will return an input to its original state after a set amount of time. An input can also be overridden using
the Open and Close buttons underneath the input pane.

Next, select which output the selected input will control in the Change IO Mapping sub-section. There are two radio buttons in this section, one for
mapping the input to a breaker output, and one for mapping the input to a zone output. After choosing the output type, use the drop-down menu to
specify which breaker or zone the input should control and click the Save button.

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To control a breaker or zone output using a combination of inputs, use the Input Logics section to create logical relationships between inputs. First,
select the radio button of one of the four logical operations (OR, AND, XOR, NAND), and then select the input to be compared against in the drop down
menu. Click “Save” to save the logic.

For example, suppose the i-3 panel was going to be used to turn on the zone “Conference Room” when “Occupancy Sensor 1” was triggered AND when
a light switch (Digital Input 02) was turned on. In the Input Logics sub-section, select the AND radio button and find “Digital Input 02” in the drop-down
menu. Click “Save” to save the logic.

Next, use the Change Input Settings sub-section to define the behavior of the input. Choose its type code from the Input Type drop-down menu. For help
choosing the correct type code, see the table below. If the input is powered, check the Is Powered? box.

Switch Type Switch Function Blinking Enabled? Configuration Software Input Type Code

2-Wire No MAINTAIN_TOGGLE_2WIRE_NOBLNK
Toggle
Yes MAINTAIN_TOGGLE_2WIRE_BLNK

2-Wire No MAINTAIN_NC_2WIRE_NOBLNK
Normally Closed Yes MAINTAIN_NC_2WIRE_BLNK
Digital
Maintain
2-Wire No MAINTAIN_NO_2WIRE_NOBLNK
Normally Open Yes MAINTAIN_NO_2WIRE_BLNK

3-Wire No DUALMAINTAIN_3WIRE_NOBLNK
Dual Maintain Yes DUALMAINTAIN_3WIRE_BLNK

2-Wire No MOMENTARY_TOGGLE_2WIRE_NOBLNK
Toggle Yes MOMENTARY_TOGGLE_2WIRE_BLNK

2-Wire No MOMENTARY_NC_2WIRE_NOBLNK
Normally Closed Yes MOMENTARY_NC_2WIRE_BLNK
Digital
Momentary No MOMENTARY_NO_2WIRE_NOBLNK
2-Wire
Normally Open Yes MOMENTARY_NO_2WIRE_BLNK

3-Wire No DUALMOMENTARY_3WIRE_NOBLNK
Dual Momentary Yes DUALMOMENTARY_3WIRE_BLNK
Analog N/A N/A ANALOG

Many of the type codes have a Blink option. When the blink option is enabled, the output will be blinked (turned off briefly, then back on) before the input
is scheduled to be overridden. The most common types of overrides are events scheduled by the building automation system or a timed override. When
an input type code is selected with blinking enabled, the three drop-down menus underneath the Input Type menu will become active. The Blink Time
menu defines how long before an override event the blinking will start. The Blink Cycle menu defines how often the lights will blink. And the OFF Time
menu defines how long the lights will remain off during a blink.

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Note: Blink settings apply to the whole panel, and cannot be defined on an input-by-input basis. The default blink settings will cause the lights to turn off
for 1 second, then back on, every 60 seconds, starting 300 seconds (5 minutes) before an override event.

Additional Output Setup

The Output (Breaker) Section is used to name outputs in OFF-LINE mode. To name an output, double click in the Name column, next to the circuit
number.

In ON-LINE mode, the Output (Breaker) Section has increased functionality. The state of the selected output will be shown in the Status circle to the
right of the output pane. Beneath the status circle, a timed override for that breaker can be set. This override will return the breaker to its initial state after
the specified amount of time has elapsed. The circuit may also be manually opened or closed using the Open and Close buttons underneath the output
pane. Lastly, the Status and Report buttons can be used to read breaker statistics.

Setting the Analog Input Logic

An analog input differs from a digital input. Digital inputs can be one of two values (either high or low), whereas an analog input can be a range of values.
This means that you must define how the value that the Controller reads off each analog input will be interpreted to control different outputs. The i-3 I/O
Modbus Controller has two analog inputs, each with a range of 0-10V. The Controller converts the voltage reading to a number between 0 and 4095,
with 4095 indicating a reading of 10V. An example of an analog input would be the reading from a light sensor that converts the amount of light in an
area to a proportional voltage. 50% light saturation would result in a reading of 4095 * 0.50 = 2048.

Since an analog value itself doesn’t usually evaluate to a simple on or off value, the user must define how the input voltage will be evaluated to turn on
and off a circuit or zone. This establishment of the analog input logic is performed in the Analog Inputs Section. Note that, in ON-LINE mode, the actual
value being read from the analog inputs will be displayed in the Actual Value column.

To begin defining how the analog input will be evaluated, select the desired logical operator from the Compare drop-down menu. The table below lists
the available logical operators and the corresponding logical expression.

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 Logical Operator How the Analog Input Is Evaluated

= On when {Analog Input #} is equal to {Set Value}

< On when {Analog Input #} is less than {Set Value}
> On when {Analog Input #} is greater than {Set Value}
<= On when {Analog Input #} is less than or equal to {Set Value}
>= On when {Analog Input #} is greater than or equal to {Set Value}
Not Equal On when {Analog Input #} is not equal to {Set Value}
Always On when {Analog Input #} is {ON/OFF}

The value that the input is compared to is defined in the Set Value drop-down menu, which is activated when any of the first seven options (= through
Not Equal) is selected. Also available for the first seven options is the Hysteresis drop-down menu. Since analog inputs are generally susceptible to
noise which may cause the Actual Value to fluctuate randomly, the Hysteresis value is used to provide a buffer on both sides of the Set Value. The effect
is that the analog input value being read must entirely cross this larger boundary before turning the output on or off.

For example, in the picture below, Analog Input 1 will turn on when the value being read is less than the Set Value 2048 with a Hysteresis of 100. In
effect, this means that Analog Input 1 will turn on when the value being read is less than 1948, and will turn off when the value being read is greater than
2148. This cushion prevents the lights from flickering on and off when the analog value is near the boundaries.

With = or Not Equal logic, the effect of Hysteresis is to expand the range of values that the analog input can be equal to. However, Hysteresis does
nothing to prevent light flicker at the edge of that zone. As a result, when the logical operator desired is = or Not Equal, the Epsilon drop-down menu will
become available in addition to the Hysteresis menu. Epsilon provides a buffer at the edge of the Hysteresis range that the analog input value must
completely move through before the analog input will turn on or off.

In the example below, the range of values for which Analog Input 2 will turn on is 2972 through 3172 (Set Value plus or minus Hysteresis value).
However, the effect of Epsilon is that when the value being read is less than 2972, it must exceed 2982 before Analog Input 2 will turn on. Once in the
“on” range, the value must drop below 2962 or exceed 3182 to reach the “off” range.

For most applications, a Hysteresis of 100 and an Epsilon of 10 should be sufficient to achieve the desired results. If light flicker is still occurring,
increase the Epsilon value.

Finally, the logical operator Always effectively converts the analog input into a digital input. When the Always operator is selected, only the ON/OFF
drop-down menu is active. ON corresponds to an input of 10V on the analog input, and OFF corresponds to an input of 0V.

Analog Outputs
The Analog Output Section allows the user to determine which inputs map to the Controller’s two analog outputs and how those inputs are interpreted to
generate an analog output.

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In ON-LINE mode, the Actual Value column will display the current value being output on each analog output. The Feed drop-down menu specifies
which input controls each analog output. A list of all the Feed options is shown in the table below. For some input feeds, the analog output will be a
single specific value. In those cases, the Manual Set column will be activated, allowing you to enter a value between 0 and 4095.

Feed Description of Output

No Feed Analog output is disabled because there is no input mapping

Digital Input (01-32) Output is Manual Set value when Digital Input (01-32) is triggered
Analog (1 or 2) with Logic Output is Manual Set value based on Analog Input (1 or 2) logic
Analog (1 or 2) Actual Value Output is the actual value currently being read on Analog Input (1 or 2)
Analog (1 or 2) Reverse Value Output is 4095 minus the actual value being read on Analog Input (1 or 2)
Manual Set Value Output is the Manual Set value
Analog (1 or 2) Gain Table Output is based on the Gain Table (Advanced Operations Tab)
Analog (1 or 2) Active Dimming Output is based on the Active Dimming Section (Advanced Operations Tab)

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The Advanced Operations Tab
The Advanced Operations Tab supplements the Analog Output Section in the Operations Tab. This tab contains all of the dimming settings for the
Controller, as well as a Troubleshooting tool for Siemens use only.

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Active Dimming
Active Dimming is a process whereby a specific light level is maintained in an area by dimming the lights when light is available from other sources (i.e.
the sun). This is accomplished by using an analog output to provide a voltage to a dimmable light based on feedback from a light sensor connected to an
analog input.

To set up Active Dimming, first make sure that Analog (1 or 2) Active Dimming has been selected in the Feed drop-down menu (Operations Tab) for the
analog output connected to the dimmable light. The choice of Analog Input will depend on which analog input is connected to the light sensor. Next, use
the light sensor’s datasheet to determine the maximum output voltage of the sensor and the corresponding maximum brightness in foot-candles. Input
these values into the Light Sensor Max. Level (V) and Max Brightness of Sensor (FC) boxes under the correct Analog Input column. Finally, enter the
desired room light level (in foot-candles) in the Desired Brightness (FC) box and click “Calculate.”

In the picture above, the light sensor is connected to analog input 1. It has a maximum level of 9V and a maximum brightness of 100FC. The desired
light level in the room is 45FC, which results in a brightness setting of 1659. In the Feed menu for Analog Output 1 (Operations Tab), Analog 1 Active
Dimming has been selected.

Gain Table (Programmable Ramp) Dimming

The other available method of dimming is Programmable Ramp dimming. In this method, a gain table is used to define what the analog output’s voltage
level should be given a certain input threshold. Note that only one gain table can be defined, although it can be used for any analog input/analog output
combination. That relationship must be defined in the Analog Output Section (Operations Tab) by selecting Analog (1 or 2) Gain Table for the
appropriate Analog Output.

For example, in the picture below, a gain table has been defined with Thresholds at 0% (0), 25% (1024), 50% (2048), 75% (3072), and 100% (4095) of
the maximum sensor brightness. For each Threshold increase, the required amount of light from the i-3 system will be less. As such, the Light Level
values decrease as the Threshold values increase.

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The information provided in this brochure contains descriptions
Siemens Industry, Inc. or characteristics of performance which in case of actual use
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1-800 241-4453 provide the respective characteristics shall only exist if expressly
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specifications are subject to change without prior notice.

All rights reserved Any product names mentioned may be trademarks or product
Printed in USA designations of Siemens or their suppliers, whose use by third
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